Flood Insurance | Water Removal Tips To Prevent More Water Damage To Your Home

September 4, 2010 – 1:36 am

05022af29e88d111b097e1ddd276f551 250x250 Flood Insurance | Water Removal Tips To Prevent More Water Damage To Your Home Whether you left that sink water on for too long or a severe rainstorm left your basement flooded and your carpets soggy, immediate water removal is crucial to prevent more water damage. And while water removal can be a surprise expense, don’t put the task off – the longer the water damage remains, the more expensive the water removal and the drying process.

If you need to remove water from your home – and fast – here are some great tips to prevent more water damage:

Before you clean the mess, take pictures for insurance purposes. If the water damage was caused by natural flooding, and you did not sign up for flood insurance, then your homeowners insurance will likely foot the bill.

Once you’ve taken pictures, it’s time to grab a pail or bucket and manually remove the water from your home. If it’s a larger amount of water you’re dealing with (such as a flooded basement), it’s worth it to rent a pump or hire a water removal professional to assist you with this large task. Remember to check if it’s safe to use electricity in your home again!

Now that the majority of the water’s gone, it’s time to deal with the carpets. If water was contaminated or stayed there for more than 48 hours, remove any and all soggy carpets and wet padding from the house.

Check moisture content in your walls to see how much water damage has been done. Buy a moisture reader from Lowe’s or Home Depot and punch a tiny hole in the DRYEST area of your house. Remember the reading (number). Repeat in the area damaged by water on different levels (right at the baseboard, a little higher, higher). Compare the readings with the one from the dry area. If they differ – call water damage restoration specialist.

If the water hasn’t dried from the floors and walls within 72 hours, you’ll have to get them replaced to prevent mold growth.

Restoration is a last step to cleaning up water damage. Don’t forget, hiring a professional to help with your water removal and wall and floor drying can prevent secondary water damage and mold!

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